In "Thank You, M'am," by Langston Hughes, are the surprising developments of the plot consistent with the character of Mrs. Jones?A good writer...

You are completely right about your comment regarding
character and plausible behaviour. The surprising plot twist in this excellent short
story definitely is the way in which Mrs. Jones drags Roger home then treats him to some
food, gives him advice and then gives him some money to buy the shoes that he is willing
to commit a crime to gain. However, let us consider how these surprising actions are
actually foreshadowed in a way through Mrs. Jones and her response to Roger's attempt to
try and steal from her. Note her reaction:

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The large woman simply turned around and kicked
him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter. Then she reached down, picked the boy up by
his shirt front, and shook him until his teeth
rattled.

Arguably, the way
that Mrs. Jones shows through these actions that she is a strong, independent woman who
will not be crossed foreshadows her behaviour and the way that she treats Roger. She
shows that she is more than capable of handling Roger and his attempt to steal from her.
She is not presented as a weak, timid or fearful character who might be intimidated by
Roger and call the police. It is she who is in control and Roger who assumes the weaker
role in this relationship. Therefore the way that she decides how to deal with Roger and
the manner in which she does this is shown through her strong and dominant response at
the beginning of the story to Roger.